Revelations
by Eizechial
Summary: ZK AU With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.
1. Encroaching Edicts

**Disclaimer: I hold no ties with Avatar: The Last Airbender. This work of fiction was created for, and only for, the sole purpose of entertainment. No profits were obtained from the makings of this story. Credits go out to Nickelodeon, ****Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**** respectively.**

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**Summary: AU Z/K With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.**

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**Author's note: After reading lots of fanfiction stories, I realized that there were no fics that truly captured how I envisioned an invasion/attempted assassination of the Fire Empire (empire because by definition, the Fire Nation became an empire after they began conquering territory). So . . . I decided that I'd attempt to create my very own. First time for everythin', ay? Well, here it goes my lovelies: I give thee Revelations!**

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><p><strong>Encroaching Edicts<strong>

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><p>"Master Aang. Master Sokka. Master Jet. Lady Toph Bei Fong. Lady Katara." The man clothed in black robes addressed, "You each have been called upon from your respective battalions in our Allied Forces. Assessments have been made upon the enemy, strategies rewritten to accommodate for the military coup: codename Black Sun and legions gathered for our invasion of the Imperial Palace. All of this has been done, but cannot come to fruition, without your finer skills and services. We, The Order, have a proposition for you."<p>

_A proposition? _mused Lady Katara, daughter of Chieftain Hakoda, sister of Master Sokka, and a Master water bender in her own right. _As if we have a choice._ Her internal voices however, quelled within themselves as she found words more suitable to say in front of the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se.

"Long Feng, sir. Permission to speak?" She asked.

"Permission granted."

"I do not think we should compromise Avatar Aang, sir. He gives the rebellion hope. Our people cannot lose hope."

Long Feng studied her for a moment as the Avatar turned to look at Katara with a tinge of suppressed gratefulness in his grey eyes. Said Avatar looked more like a child, than a cold-blooded agent. His thirteenth birthday could not have been more than a month ago.

"What makes you believe that _Avatar_ Aang will be compromised, Lady Katara?" He inquired.

"I . . . umm, well I-"

"- She was debriefed earlier on the mission by our Father, Chief Hakoda," Sokka interrupted.

The Grand Secretariat raised an eyebrow.

"Sir," he amended.

"In that case, the Chief must have already told you two the situation that is at hand. And how vital Avatar Aang's role is to the mission," Long Feng said.

Katara opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off once again by her brother. "Of course sir, Katara's concerned because she's a just a woman, sir. I'm sure she didn't mean to contradict your authority."

The room's temperature dropped to a frigid degree as Katara's eyes narrowed and her jaw clenched. Blue irises turned to glare lividly from their corners, focusing on the creator of the sexist remark. It was no matter that Sokka had saved her from having to tell Long Feng that she was eavesdropping upon The Order's conversation earlier; her brother's chauvinism had earned him a very _painful _water whip, she decided . . . Just as soon as an appropriate opportunity presented itself.

The Grand Secretariat seemed appeased, however, by the elder boy's cover-up and did not seem to notice the fluctuation in temperature. "Very well," he began, before adding: "Katara, do keep your thoughts to yourself, next time. It would be wise to learn from your elder brother."

"Of course sir," she gritted out, turning her glower off of her brother and towards the lone fire pit. Green fire danced from the stone cavity encroaching around it, snake-like statues writhing and twisting their ways up the mantle; the entire office seemed alit with an unholy nature that made everything seem . . . _conniving_. Katara deemed the place as a home fit for something much like a snake.

Aforementioned snake began talking again, "Good. Now back to the matter at hand. The Order has conscripted each of you upon this mission because of your talents; talents that are unsurpassed in your particular categories. Master Sokka in disguise and tactics, Master Jet in swordsmanship, Lady Bei Fong in interrogation and heavy weaponry, Lady Katara in stealth and marksmanship, and Avatar Aang due to his most recently discovered ability," Long Feng paused, "Energy Bending."

"The plan is simple. In order to ensure a decisive victory on Black Sun, we must initiate the beginnings of the coup long before we invade. Terra Teams have set up checkpoints stretching from Omashu all the way to the outskirts of the Imperial City, Sozin. The Order wishes for your group to advance to these checkpoints, keeping a low profile. Reach Sozin, learn the city's infrastructure, and report back to intelligence."

Jet spoke up, "Permission to speak, sir?"

"Granted."

"Why do we need such a large group if all we're going to be doing is gathering information for intelligence? Let me complete the mission on my own, without them slowing me down. Course, Katara could _come _with me if she wanted too . . ." the egotistical rebel captain turned his head slightly to face the water bender. He winked lewdly at her.

Katara was trying very hard not to blush. Between the war and her many travels, she was no longer the naïve little girl she used to be; the second meaning did not escape her notice.

Long Feng ignored the innuendo completely, "Your arrogance surprises me, Master Jet. To be frank, you are to be doing much more than just scouting the area."

"Like spying?"

"Not entirely. The checkpoints that the Terra Teams have created are considered hot spots, positions that are under control of the enemy. As you can imagine, there are many of these. On your final destination to Sozin, The Order requests for you to eliminate the governors in these locations, ridding conquered Earth Kingdom provinces of Fire Empire Imperialists."

The only other female present in the room spoke up, "We get to crack a few spark heads together? Sweet. This sounds like my kind of mission." Knuckles cracked loudly.

"Remaining incognito is of the necessity," The Grand Secretariat chided, "for we are hoping to catch much bigger prey inside of Sozin."

"You want us to take down the Royal Family," Katara stated.

"We want, more correctly, for you to assassinate them."

"B-but why?" asked the Avatar.

"The death of the entire family will politically tear the Fire Empire apart, until they can find a new lineage to be royal blood. It would be the perfect opportunity to initiate an invasion on their homeland, and completely obliterate them. If timed correctly, the assassinations can coincide with operation Black Sun."

"How can you expect us to take out the entire royal line in one swoop? All of them are Master benders!" Katara noticed her brother's arms make hand motions as he spoke.

"A simultaneous attack on the Royal Family can only be executed with Avatar Aang. His Energy Bending should allow a slipstream moment, a window of opportunity, to temporarily freeze the _chi _inside of the imperials. How you initiate contact however, shall be left up to you."

"But-"

Long Feng inclined his head. "You are dismissed. Prepare for departure at dawn."

And with that, the Grand Secretariat let the black lacquered floors swallow him up, disappearing from the sight of the five young agents. The almost silent transition within the man's earth bending kata left a moment of stunned silence surround each specialized operations individual. Katara's eyes blinked rapidly at the spot where Long Feng had been standing at; not a single stone misplaced.

"Well," Katara began, "this . . . this . . .-"

"Sounds like a suicide mission?" Sokka supplied.

"Ought to be fun?" said Toph manically.

"-really fucking sucks . . ." she admitted.

"Katara!" admonished her brother, "A proper Southern Water Tribe woman doesn't use that kind of language! What would dad say if he heard you?"

. . .

. . .

. . .

A well placed water whip cracked painfully across Sokka's head.

"The fuck was that for?"

"Oh gee, Sokka. A proper Southern Water Tribe WOMAN doesn't use that kind of language!" Katara mimicked, "Why don't you start learning that you can't tell me what to do anymore?"

The insulted water tribe warrior opened his mouth to retort back hotly, but was cut off by his ranting sibling.

"Why you-"

"-And just because you include 'dad' when you're trying to tell me to do something, it still doesn't take away from the fact that 'you' are still trying to tell me what to do! When you're MAN enough to beat me in a fight, I'll be more than happy to listen, dear brother." She flounced off towards the doorway, leaving an openmouthed and sputtering Sokka in her wake.

Jet whistled. "Your sister is mighty fine, Sokka. I just love that temper and passion! It's so sexy!"

"GRR $#&!" Sokka seemed to gain a pinky-hold on his senses, and made to charge at the smug captain and beat his wheat-eating face. Like a flash, Toph sprung into action and pulled up a wall of earth, neatly allowing the water tribe boy to slam into it face first.

"Owwww! It hurts, it hurts!" he wailed, grabbing his smarting nose accusingly. "Toph, you broke my freakin' face!"

The short earthbender grinned, unseeing eyes staring out in space.

"Snoozles, don't kill our grass-eating friend here," she said.

Jet snorted, laughing at the misery of his new ally.

"And YOU," Toph began, throwing a finger that pointed unnervingly accurately at the rebel captain, "keep it in your pants!"

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So hopefully this little shot of action(y)military prelude gets you guys some incentive to continue reading! I'm going to try to keep a fairly quick tempo to this story and hit a lot of my ideas point blank . . . course there will be some slow and **_**steamy **_**scenes later on . . . Because everyone likes steamy scenes, yes?**

**Anyways, Reviews are appreciated, as well as concerns, comments, questions and possible predictions as to what may happen! Reviews are appreciated, flames (as long as they are respectful and contribute to the novella) are welcome and suggestions shall, and always shall, be taken into consideration . . . Did I forget to mention that Reviews are appreciated? :D **


	2. Departure

**Disclaimer: I hold no ties with Avatar: The Last Airbender. This work of fiction was created for, and only for, the sole purpose of entertainment. No profits were obtained from the makings of this story. Credits go out to Nickelodeon, ****Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**** respectively.**

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****Summary: AU Z/K With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.****

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**Author's Note: I think I may be obsessed with this story . . . Ah well, guess that's good for the readers, yes? Rated "T" for now, but I'll bump the rating later on if I need to. Anyways, here's the newest chapter to the story!**

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><p><strong>Departure<strong>

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><p>A damp mist clung against the crevices of Ba Sing Se, enveloping the city into a large swath of obscurity. Thick rolls of the stuff billowed outwards from a large lake out on the southwestern outskirts of the metropolis, concealing an entourage of five travel-clad figures each riding atop bird-like animals. The shadows of each mounted horsemen steadily moved their ways across a silent dirt road; the same dirt road, in fact, that led to the western exit of Ba Sing Se and out into the steep Kolau Mountains. The destination of the newly departed figures loomed even further though: the fabled city of Omashu.<p>

Katara glanced up from her blue fingerless gloves that she had been unconsciously staring at, the deep color blending in smoothly with her ostrich-horse's black downy feathers. Clasped loosely by her hands, the leather reign of which she steered her mount with lay slack; much like her own mind. After saddling up their mounts, the squadron of teens had left the confines established deep below Lake Laogai. They had left the cavern of secrecy and guerilla warfare. They had left Long Feng, their Grand Secretariat and leader. They had left their home.

_Not for the first time, _Katara thought half-optimistically. Try as she might, the master water bender could not summon her infamous ability to bring an upbeat and semi-cheerful attitude to the mission at hand. The groups' assignment wasn't the typical run of the mill, nab a crazy revolutionist or blackmail a peace disturbing aristocrat; no, they were being sent out to kill this time. To assassinate.

"Katara?" a voice snapped her out of the depressing thoughts resting in her mind.

"Yeah Sokka?"

"Can you take out a little white sack inside your saddlebag? It's in the far right one."

She sighed. Holding onto the reigns with her left hand, Katara searched her saddlebag with the other. On the very top of the compact and tidy pile of essentials inside, Katara found a lumpy looking kerchief wrapped into an equally lumpy looking knot. She pulled it out and tossed the misshapen equipment to her brother.

"Here," she said. Moments later a grunted "thanks" replied back. The deed done, Katara resumed her mulling, staring back down at the leather rope in her fingers. A minute of silence stretched forth once again. The only noises Katara could make out were the quiet 'smackings' and 'swallows' off to her side.

Suddenly, a thought struck the water maiden.

"Wait a second . . . Sokka?" she turned around, "How come you put that handkerchief in my rucksack?"

Her brother turned to face her, cheeks full of edible substance, a bag of fire flakes poised to be devoured. His eyes widened for a moment, before settling into their original positions.

"Mmh medh no rmm insh meh bafkcack."

". . . What?"

Sokka swallowed. "I didn't have no room in my backpack," he restated.

Katara noticed a silver sliver of a moon peach bulging out from one of the pockets of her brother's saddlebag. She face-palmed. _Of course he would only think with his stomach, not his head_, Katara groaned internally. From the looks of it, Sokka's main priority for his personal essentials seemed to rely solely on things that could be shoved down his face, and into the bottomless pit he called a stomach.

Unlike her brother, Katara had not thought with said body part, but rather, used a resourceful mind when she packed prior to their departure. Nestled firmly within her traveling bags lay: her _rations_ she planned to eat sparingly until they made it to their first checkpoint in Omashu, a leather stitched and easily transportable set of scrolls –deemed a 'journal' by an eccentric Earth Kingdom scientist-, a spare set of Dai Li robes, two water skins for which she used in emergency battle situations, an eight inch Kris knife with an elegant wooden handle; encased in a simple black-leather sheath, multiple jars of herbs and healing ointments, and a small coin pouch of the Fire Empire's currency. One longer and slimmer niche housed her trusty Recurve Bow and a quiver full of turtle-duck fletched arrows with obsidian arrowheads. Hidden underneath her dark colored outer robes and on the rim of her silken tunic, a dozen throwing knifes lay laced in the confines of supple buckskin. Like the rest of her group, Katara also carried portions of their tent, cooking supplies, and disguise kits.

To the common eye, Katara and her fellow agents looked like veteran travelers, couriers even. But deep down, the young water bender knew that they were going to be delivering a much darker reply than a simple letter ever could. A cold breeze blew through the fabric of her coal-shaded robes and Katara shuddered. At least, that's what she blamed the involuntary shivers that now coursed through her body and down to her very core.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"_Ba Sing Se is divided into three districts. __It has many walls. There are the ones outside protecting us, and the one's inside that help maintain order. The first tier is the Lower Ring. This is where our newest arrivals live, as well as our craftsman and artisans. It's so quaint and lively. You do want to watch your step though . . ._

_ The second tier is the Middle Ring. It is home to the financial district, shops and restaurants and the university. Ba Sing Se boats the most educational university of the modern world. It is the cities' belief that knowledge constitutes power._

_ The third tier is called the Upper Ring. It is home to The Earth Kingdom's most important people. Lawyers, doctors and government officials live here. Should one be extremely lucky, a visitor to the Upper Ring may chance upon the Royal Palace, the very home of our kingdom's greatest leader: The Earth King. _

_ It is in the best interest of the people to abide by the law and obey the law. The cultural saviors and national protectors of Ba Sing Se shall enforce severe punishments upon those that defy the law. Have a safe day._

_ ~The Dai Li"_

Katara read the large stone tablet sitting in the center of the battered plaza of the Lower Ring by the flickering light of nearby lanterns. A few clicks away from the ornate inscription, Katara's ostrich-horse stood unsaddled and tethered inside of a stable next to a grimy tavern her companions had rented for their last night's stay in the city. They had reached the Lower Ring after almost an entire day's ride via ostrich-horse, and the water bender's legs felt _terribly _sore. It hurt just to sit.

She glanced away from the predominant scripture. Off to the side, Toph and her brother looked as if they were ordering dinner from a noodle vendor; sitting at an outdoor table, Aang and Jet seemed to be deep into a game of Pai Sho. Katara scuffed the bottoms of her shoes upon the bumpy cobblestones. Everyone knew one another, in a way, she thought. She knew Sokka because of them being siblings with one another, Toph knew her because Sokka and shehad been in on a prior mission with each other, Sokka knew Jet through having the same swords instructor, and Katara knew Aang because Toph had introduced them during a banquet they had both attended. Really, their group couldn't have been any closer . . . right?

A snicker of amusement caused her to turn back to Toph and Sokka . . . or rather, Toph and the rest of Sokka that wasn't covered entirely in cabbages from an overturned merchant's handcart. One brick-like piece of earth stood out unnaturally from underneath one of the carts' wheels.

"My Cabbages!" a man moaned piteously. He began to scurry to pick up the undamaged ones littered across the ground.

Perhaps the world's greatest earth bending prodigy ever, Toph Bei Fong seemed to use her talent for unnecessary and troublesome appeasement. Katara's eyebrow twitched as her lips curled upwards. She couldn't decide whether or not she should scold the younger agent, or laugh along with her. Deciding upon a third option, Katara removed her money pouch from off her sash –she had tied it onto her person after unsaddling her ride- and made her way over to the wailing merchant of cabbages.

She placed two large, shiny gold pieces on top of the man's pile of produce he held in his arms. The cabbage merchant's eyes widened as a thin trail of drool escaped from his lips. He was immediately placated.

"For your troubles," Katara said simply, helping to right his overturned cart.

"No- no troubles at all any more missus. Thank you much!" The cabbage man quickly resettled his armload of merchandise back onto his pushcart, sticking his newfound money into the swathes of his pockets. With a new spring in his step, the cabbage man began making his way down the street.

"You can keep those ones," he waved airily back at the pile of green vegetables that Sokka was grouchily standing up from. Humming a happy tune, he soon disappeared around the corner and from the sight of the water bender.

"Oh Sokka . . . what did you say this time?" she asked.

Sokka began babbling. "Nothing! All I did was tell a joke to Toph and she didn't like it so then I told her-"

"That blind girls have a sense of humor that rivals their eyesight," Toph finished for him. She slurped down a string of noodles before adding: "so, I showed him something I found funny."

"Toph . . ." Katara began chiding, "we really shouldn't be making any memorable scenes from here on out, even if certain _people,_" her eyes shifted over and fixed themselves pointedly to a sulking Sokka, "deserve it. You know there are imperial spies around these parts."

"Yeah, yeah. Sorry 'bout that Sweetness."

Katara's lips quirked at the nickname; it seemed as if everyone Toph met had at least one. "Let's go back to the tavern," she suggested.

A murmur of agreement from her companions settled the matter.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Her hair fanned out upon a measly pillow, Katara shifted from her back to her side, curling up in the thin sheets of the lumpy mattress she rested upon. The change in position did nothing to disturb the water maiden's slumber, as one of her arms laid sprawled outwards from the movement. In her loosely clenched hand, the leather-bound _diary _of scrolls now flapped with intricately black glyphs written within the first of its pages.

_Into the Inferno_

_We've reached the Lower ring today, the frontier into the Fire Empire. I am scared, though I don't say it in front of my companions. I must be brave, for them, for Sokka, for myself. I wish things could be different. Oh mother, if only you were still here to watch over us . . . I am afraid. I am afraid that things will not turn out well for everyone involved in this mission. I shall pray to Tui and La to give us courage. I know that the road ahead will be difficult. I know that it will be, because life is never easy. But I guess in a way, that's how I'd like it. As the saying goes: 'don't wish for an easy life, wish for the strength to endure a rough one'. I hope the spirits have given me that strength. I have a feeling I will need it._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay . . . this chapter got re-edited because the first draft of it really sucked. Like it sucked horse-balls, not gonna lie. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, I –myself- am taking a terribly great pleasure in writing this (sort of an oxymoron ey?). Hopefully we'll get to meet our favorite fire prince soon!<strong>

**Author's Note 2: Special thanks to Ruby of Raven (Very Special Thanks for being the First Reviewer!), Emerald-Oceans, SnoopyGirl213, Apathetic and Archibald-Rumbleroar for reviewing my story :). As to 'You know who I am lol" why yes, I do know who you are! And I thanked you . . . by letting you take my chips at lunch ha. Again, thank you all for reviewing. I hope that we can continue to build on this story: me and YOU reviewers! Together! Together, we can do this! We can make a great, amazing story TOGETHER! If WE work together, WE can do this! If YOU can't tell, I'm using a technique that is proven effective: audiences like to be included! Yeah. . . (if this doesn't work, damnit, I am going to find that one psychology teacher guy who made this up). ROFL. Anyways, guys, what I'm trying to say in my spastic sort of way is:**

**R&R (less than three)**

**And I shall love you forever. **


	3. Shadows of the Past

**Disclaimer: I hold no ties with Avatar: The Last Airbender. This work of fiction was created for, and only for, the sole purpose of entertainment. No profits were obtained from the makings of this story. Credits go out to Nickelodeon, ****Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**** respectively.**

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****Summary: AU Z/K With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.****

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**Author's Note: umm . . . just to ease the angst! into the story, let me tell you all a joke (WTF angst + joke = ?) . . . hah. So: ****a man is driving his five year old to a friend's house when another car races in front and cuts them off, nearly causing an accident. "Douchebag!" the father yells. A moment later he realizes the indiscretion, pulls over, and turns to face his son. "Your father just said a bad word," he says. "I was angry at that driver, but that was no excuse for what I said. It was wrong. But just because I said it, it doesn't make it right, and I don't ever want to hear you saying it. Is that clear?" His son looks at him and says: "Too late, douchebag."**

**Bahaha . . . Ok. Seriously now, on to the story!**

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><p><strong>Shadows of The Past<strong>

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><p>A thin veil of late spring sun arose from the peaks of faraway mountains, awakening the water bender from a weak and troubled slumber. Katara had not slept well. She had dreamt of a malevolent memory; a painful reminiscence of her past. No, sleep had not come easily to the young teen last night indeed.<p>

She sat up from the moth-eaten mattress and equally dilapidated blankets, folding the latter into crisp wrinkles atop of the rickety bed. Katara ran a cold hand across the top of her cream colored chemise –of which she changed into after last night's antics– past her bosom and up to the blue choker situated on her neck. Her digits fingered the dark blue pendant resting in the center of her necklace reverently. As if in a daze, the water bender glided along the dusty floorboards of her temporary room, stopping absentmindedly at her heavy-looking knapsack. Bending down, one hand reached into the bag selecting a fresh white tunic, her black Dai Li Robes, and items of similar lineage. The other appendage remained at the front of her neck, stroking the sapphire stone and feeling its smooth yet glyphic-wrought texture. Katara then set her clothes across the length of her bed, folding out everything neatly, before heading to a door situated not ten paces away from the foot of the lumpy divan. Quietly, she opened the wooden door and stepped inside to a washroom filled with steaming pipes writhing against the entire far side wall. The Mechanist, as he was called, had created another technological marvel; indoor plumbing.

To the side rested a niche with a hose-like object jutting out from the ceiling of one of the larger pipes. Below it rested a long and simple wooden lever; when the lever was pulled downwards, it allowed the warm pipes to release a rainy waterfall of water from the hose-head hanging on the ceiling. Katara shed her sleeping garments, stepping into the alcove and tugging down the simple wooden handle. The chilly air nipped sharply at her exposed skin. However, not a minute later, the magical contraption began its wonders. The water bender sighed happily as the warmth cascaded down from her head, to her body, and down into the drain below.

_Enjoy it while it lasts_, a voice inside her brain whispered, nasty in its logic, _because you're off for a two week long ostrich-horse march into the wilderness before hitting the Kolau Mountains. Not to mention, there's going to be Imperial Legions garrisoned across the entire continent when you're traveling, so you'll probably have to watch out for them too. Oh! and there's gonna be a very good chance that you or Sokka or Aang or Jet or Toph might die. That is, unless you kill the enemy before they get the chance to do the same to you . . . yeah, pessimism, pessimism, pessimism . . ._

Un-habitual and cynical thoughts ran rampant within water bender's still sleepy mind. Groaning unhappily, Katara shook her head from one side to the other; her palms clasped against the sides her wet cheeks. She ran a single of said appendages through her wavy brown locks, pushing the hair away from the front of her face. The future didn't look too bright.

_Things could always be worse,_ the voice said logically.

"Leave me alooonneeee," Katara moaned to herself, or rather, the evil voice plaguing her mind. She did not want logic. She wanted a way out.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Again," He demanded.

"Prince Zuko," the old man chastised, "perhaps we should move back to the basics. Lightning Bending requires great-"

"Show me again Uncle!" the Prince to the Fire Empire repeated forcefully. "I can almost feel the _chi _now, its right there in front of me! I see the energies, the positive ones. The negative ones. I'm close . . . I know I am."

Iroh, the uncle and philosophical teacher of the heir to the Imperial Throne, stared passively at the shadow of his young student. They had docked three days ago at a province located on the edge of the eastern front in the conquered Earth Kingdoms, just north of the Serpent's Pass. The land they had situated themselves upon was a rough and pebbly beach, free of natural vegetation safe a few scraggly trees and outlined by a cliff face that threw both the Fire Prince and instructor in a shrouded loom of darkness. Further east, a stretch of open plains and mostly deserted villages led to the only sector left unsoiled by the Fire Empire's control: Ba Sing Se. After many failed campaigns against the resilient city-state, the empire had left it well alone, instead conquering the neighboring countryside around it. Iroh himself had helped to carve up much of the western portions in the Earth Kingdom. He was well renowned for his crusade upon Omashu, nearly twenty five years ago; the Dragon of the West, they called him. His incredible intellect and ability to understand people better than they themselves had helped him earn that title. It was a skill the retired General now used upon his pupil.

"To capture lighting, is a kata many master benders have yet to achieve, my nephew. One must be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness," Iroh relaxed all of the muscles in his body. His hands slowly made swirling motions against the air, one arm twisting clockwise in front of his torso, with his other appendage shifting oppositely moments after. Zuko watched with ferocious inquisition. "Though outwardly lightning may seem aggressive and fierce and _alive_, there is a reason why they call it the cold-blooded fire, Prince Zuko." Iroh's skilled fingertips began to emit blue sparks, as his digits pulled and separated the positive and negative _chi _from the air. Vibrant energy thrummed in a violet aura for all but a nanosecond, before the Dragon of the West sent it screeching into the air. The demonstration complete, Iroh folded his hands into the pockets of his wide-brimmed sleeves.

"Your mind must be within the eye of the storm: Calm. Collected. Without any stirring emotions inside of your head. It is about finding inner peace within yourself." He stressed verbally, "You cannot force lightning. You are only its simple conductor, to which the pathway it shall follow, through your gut, out your arms, and to its destination."

"I will bend lightning." Zuko stated aggressively, the flecks of morning sun glinting above the grotto and illuminating a comet-like streak of scarred skin across the left side of the prince's face. His eyes narrowed menacingly.

"And I will regain my honour."

. . .

. . .

. . .

"_Mom . . . what's going on?" she asked. _

"_It- Its okay sweetie. Go and find your dad now, I'll take care of this." A kind voice replied. Still, she remained rooted to the spot. A rough voice that contrasted painfully with the prior did not shake her from her stunned state. It was the finality of the exchange that made Katara cry._

"_I am the last water bender. Take me. Take me as your prisoner."_

"_I'm afraid I won't be taking any prisoners today."_

_Fire. The rasp of it sent the young girl into shock as its malevolent light encircled the being of mother. Screams of pain flowed endlessly in a cacophony of shrill torrents. Molten air hissed with misery; crackling wisps of death filled the room. An unholy wraith of bereavement cleaved into the home with reckless abandon, ceasing the function of time and life alike. Nothing seemed to- _

"Katara, are you TRYING to kill ME?" Sokka wailed unhappily. His right hand fanned rapidly over his nerve-broken tongue as sweat poured down the top of his brow. An innocent bowl half-filled with stew lay forlornly on the forest ground.

The cook of the rogue group snapped out of her reverie. The lull of the campfire beneath the cooking pot had dulled the water bender into a dream-like trance. For the past week, its flickering light had shimmered in and out of her vision, always at the most seemingly simple of times. With a start, azure eyes flicked away from the entrancement of the flame and to the circular motion of a wooden ladle that seemed to stir itself. It took Katara a moment to realize that she was the one controlling said utensil.

"Oh. Sorry Sokka. I think I must have added too many frost peppers without realizing it." She said.

"You think?" he all but yelled.

Aang made his way over from their newly pitched tent, its inky canvas glistening in and out of view from the firelight. Taking an already full bowl of stew sitting on a stump that had served as a makeshift table, the air bender selected a wooden spoon. He took a moment to test the mixture himself.

"Urrgh," he coughed. "Its, um –urgh- quite . . . _bracing_." Red-faced, the Avatar scrambled over to their supplies and quickly downed his canteen of water.

Katara gave a dejected sigh. She did not notice her bald-headed companion discreetly dispose of the spicy stew.

"I'm sorry guys. I really butchered tonight's dinner."

"S'alright Katara." Aang said between gulps of cooling liquid.

"Hot, hot! Need . . . water!" the 'brains' of their group made a mad dash, with hands outstretched, to wrest away the flask from his fellow companion; never mind there being a perfectly good water skin not five paces away. Katara slapped a hand to her head.

"No, you two, guzzling water doesn't help with the spiciness," she said.

Not a half second later, did the canteen drop emptily into the dirt.

"She's right!" Aang exclaimed, as a renewed sense of heat grew in his mouth, "It made it worse- Ahh! Hot, hot!"

With a graceful bound, Katara left her position as chef and made her way over to the saddlebags tossed in a heap against the roots of a large tree. She rummaged through her pack, selecting a much smaller sack from the pockets of her saddlebag.

"Here, eat this," Katara said, tossing the little bag over to her two squabbling friends.

Sokka managed to grab it first. Katara watched her brother loosen the drawstring from the mouth of the bag, and greedily down a large portion of its contents. His lips smacked appreciatively and a sigh escaped him, before he handed over the pouch to Aang. The water bender saw a similar reaction occur from the younger boy. Lazy and dazed smiles fit their features. Katara rolled her eyes as her brother let out a satisfied belch.

"Mmh, what is that stuff? It tastes familiar." Sokka asked.

"Sugar," the water bender replied simply, before adding: "Mom and Gran-Gran and I used to use it a lot whenever Bato came over with Dad back in the South Pole. You know, when they had those: 'who can eat the most frozen sea peppers challenges' and stuff. I guess it just absorbs the heat or something."

"No kidding. It's pretty sweet stuff."

"Uh-huh," mumbled Katara off handedly.

"I'm serious! It really is sweet and- and sugary! Eh? Sugary, get it?" Sokka chortled, "Cause, you know, its sugar? Haha, sugar. Sugary. I still got it."

Almost distantly, the teen water bender heard sounds of mirth escaping from both of her _very _immature companions.

"Sokka, Aang . . . why don't you two go share the sugar with Toph and Jet? I'm sure they'd like some. I think I'm gonna to go ahead and practice water bending a little ways away from camp."

"Toph and Jet are asleep back in the tent, Katara. Don't you remember? They wanted to get some extra rest before heading out tomorrow." said Sokka. His eyebrows furrowed down questioningly. "You seem really out of it today. Are you alright?"

"Fine . . . just fine." She sighed.

"If you say so," Sokka replied back skeptically. Katara could tell her brother didn't buy her tone. She remembered him saying something about voice inflection: _'a man's tone is cheap change. I can tell when just about anybody's lying. It's the tone that really makes it believable. That's how all liar's get found out eventually, don't cha know.'_ It always amazed Katara how someone so dense could be so perceptive. _Maybe that's why he is such a great tactical genius, _Katara mused. _No one ever sees it coming._

"Look. I need to go get my mind off a few things. I'll be back in a bit, okay?" Perhaps it was the docile tenor in her voice that made Sokka nod his head in acceptance. Without another word, Katara turned on her heel and glided off into the bowels of the thickly wooded forest.

They –the gang- had set up camp on the edge of this Earth Kingdom forest. Ba Sing Se's mostly deserted roadway was but a few hundred yards away from Katara and her fellow agents; the sparse and flat landscape on the open dirt road had not been an ideal option, so everyone readily agreed prior to arrange a night's stay inside the protection of the many evergreen trees lavished upon its near countryside. According to Sokka's map, the gang would eventually reach Serpent's Pass upon the abandoned path within a three days hard march. From there, it was a one way ticket through the Kolau Mountains and onto Omashu.

All of this processed subconsciously inside of Katara's head, as she walked deeper into the woods. She had been part of the gang's conversation earlier that day, albeit abstractedly. Katara remembered snippets of their chatter, however, most of it remained shrouded behind a blank visualization of the horrific memories she seemed to be experiencing as of late. The mission had triggered suppressed nightmares within Katara's psyche. It seemed the further away she ventured from Ba Sing Se, the stronger the shadows of her past became.

With a physical shake of her head, Katara shook off aforementioned shadows and trudged on. Mayhap it was the natural instincts of a water bender within her, for her sense of direction did not waver in its destination towards finding some source of water. Not a minute later, did her intuition pay off: a sloshing slap of liquid reached Katara's sensitive ears, and she honed on it like a talon-hawk after a rabaroo.

When Katara finally attained sight of her target, a small smile graced her lips. She had reached a rocky embankment free of foliage, resting openly by a wide and slowly moving river. The bank she was on seemed to lie within the lee of the river's shallow bend. A lone, thick tree stump that stood well over twelve meters tall –even with its top sheared off- was situated on the edge of the bank. It was a perfect spot to practice her water bending forms and marksmanship.

Katara shrugged off her black Dai Li robes –for that was the only shade they were: black, like coal; so as to reduce the risk of being noticed by other peoples for their allegiance to the Earth Kingdom. It was a very neutral color with no insignias upon the cloth whatsoever- and stripped down to her silken white tunic. She shuddered as a chill breeze swept over the contours of her exposed skin. The creamy color of her underclothes contrasted significantly with the caramel skin tone of her arms and the fabric seemed to glow luminescent in the dark sky of twilight. Strapped diagonally from an opposite shoulder to hip, two brown leather belts that crisscrossed around her torso housed Katara's set of steel throwing knives. Each knife held a pearl-like gleam to it; rust was nowhere to be found upon their well-cared for edges, as they were protected firmly by their holsters. However, that was as far as the water maiden disrobed, leaving her military trousers on to help protect herself from the autumn wind.

Katara marched over to the base of the large stump, before striding twenty paces away from its woody texture. Facing outwards from it, Katara breathed deeply, slowly.

She cleared her mind. Precision called for it.

When she judged that her mentality was sufficiently peaceful, Katara turned and in one smooth motion, drew a knife and sunk it deep into the tree. Her body almost sighed at the feeling of this movement, relishing in its familiar ache. Long and arduous training sessions deep below Lake Laogai had honed her ability to perfect the art.

Slender fingers curled around an even thinner handle, and a second throwing knife drove its way inward to meet its kin blade, only centimeters to the left of it. The reverberations hummed thickly, a long, buzzing twang of steel upon air.

Katara let fly three more throwing knives before stepping towards the stump to inspect her work. Each dagger stood hilt deep, only millimeters apart from one another. Marksmen twice her age would have been envious of the water bender's accuracy. However, Katara was not one to settle for just one good form and technique. With a small grunt, Katara removed the lithe blades from the stump, pocketing four of them back into their holsters while retaining one in her fingertips. She turned towards the gurgling river and with one hand, summoned an undersized orb of water. Closing her eyes, Katara tightened her focus upon the liquid, using her chi to freeze it into a thin flat disk. Her brows furrowed together in concentration. She raised the ice shard almost thirty feet into the air, sighing unhurriedly. Again she breathed in a calming cadence, keeping her heartbeat in a slow and steady rhythm to reduce any extra variable of alteration with her aim. Almost eerily, the icy target stopped moving and remained hovering in space. A whole second passed by, then ten. Then twenty.

_Breathe. Relax. Concentrate. See the target; see the shot. Now… wait for it. Wait… Attack!_

Opening her eyes, the water bender dropped her hand, releasing the suspended disk into a freefall back towards the ground. Thrown from her opposite hand, a lone stiletto sang through the night, cutting through the air and jutting into the center of the falling ice disk. Katara raised a claw-shaped hand towards the dropping object, enforcing her will onto it. Instantly, ice morphed back to water, safe for a small wedge holding the hilt of the dagger. Katara then twisted her hand into a chopping fist, making a sharp circular motion with her nimble limb. The water lengthened and thinned, forming itself into snaking and writhing whip; the knife located on the tail-end of it flashed brilliantly against the starry sky.

In a moment of speed and grace, Katara twisted the shimmering water whip circularly around her body, dipping into a spinning crouch with her arms bent and poised upwards. Taking a powerful spring skyward, Katara lashed out towards the tree stump, using the momentum of her kata as a bolster to the lethal whip.

The dull thud of metal threshed deep into waterlogged wood contrasted scathingly to the harsh thrums of Katara's water whip slicing through the air. Again and again, the young prodigy attacked with dangerous precision.

_This is what I've been trained for, _she thought detachedly, as another knife-whip slashed into the stump. _I'm not the helpless little girl I used to be. I am a master water bender now. I am a skilled markswoman. I can defend those who cannot defend themselves. I am a warrior._

_No . . . not a warrior, _her mind rebuked. Now Katara was seriously starting to wonder about her sanity. Schizophrenia seemed to be a common theme found in the many agents of the Dai Li. Maybe she needed to see a doctor . . .

_You are most definitely not a warrior, Katara, _the voice cooed.

Her concentration faltered. Katara's whip splashed clumsily down in the dirt, as her hands found her ears, trying to block out the horrible voice. "Get out," she hissed, through gritted teeth. "Get out of my head!"

_I can't, _the voice lilted almost sweetly. _I am a part of you now, little water bender. I know you better than you do yourself. And I know . . . you aren't a warrior; you're a __**killer**__. _

"No," she choked out. "No, that's not true! You're lying!" Katara's legs wobbled. Suddenly, she was on ground, curled up in a protective ball. Tears were sliding helplessly from her eyes.

_An assassin. You are an assassin! _The voice crowed viciously.

"P- please . . ."

She was so absorbed in her mental battle, that the quietly moving barge across the curve of the riverbed had escaped her notice. Lost in the slurry of the rushing water upon river rocks, an Iguana-Parrot's cry rang out ominously as Katara's weeping clothed the darkness in a somber silence . . .

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Prince Zuko, General Iroh," a uniformed crewman bowed hastily to the two Royal Family members. "Th- three Earth Kingdom ships were spotted on the horizon. Lieutenant Jee thinks they're just scout vessels, bu- but he recommended we return to port back at the lakeshore."

"You there!" the prince pointed to a sailor swabbing the deck, "Fetch me my telescope." The man dropped his cleaning utensils and gave a quick salute. He turned to scamper off in search of the device.

Zuko turned back to his uncle and the messenger. "Dismissed," he stated simply.

Uncle Iroh eyed his nephew questioningly, as the crewman bowed his way backwards. "Prince Zuko, what do you plan to do exactly?"

"I need information, Uncle. This is my opportunity to get it."

"Information . . . about the Avatar?" the old man guessed. By the way his nephew's glare intensified, Iroh assumed he had already gained his answer. The General folded his hands into the brims of his sleeves.

"Nephew," he began, "I do not advise you to make a hasty battle. Consider the consequences if what you decide to do ends up being foolish. I think it would be in our best interest, if we move along without getting ourselves involved into a conflict."

"They're scouting ships, Uncle. What could they possibly do to us? Look around!" Zuko gesticulated to the large and sturdy wooden structure surrounding them. The galleon cleverly titled, _The Black Dragon_, on account of the young captain's brooding nature, loomed oppressively large in the waters of the split lake. Thick timber cut exclusively from the Wulong Forest made up the majority of the planking. Up above, the three round masts housed a swath of billowing sails. Housed within the gun deck, nearly two score's worth of cannons loaded with sparkpowder lay in wait to attack any opposing opposition. _The Black Dragon _itself had nearly a hundred and fifty men to power it. What could possibly conquer such a magnificent sea-faring titan? Three schooners with what, a third of its firepower? _Tch. Please._

"It may all be a ruse, my nephew. It is possible a larger predator could be in wait, just beyond the other side of the pass. Think of how hard it was to navigate our way to this place. Any further, and we will become trapped. Then, we'll be sitting ducks for-"

"I will not give up this mission because of the _possibility _of a risk," Zuko said.

"At least consider the safety of your crew!" Iroh pleaded.

"The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" he spat angrily, just as a man with graying sideburns came up from below deck. The man stopped in his tracks to stare guardedly at the prince. Zuko, having noticed new company out of his peripherals, turned completely towards the unwanted eavesdropper and stalked slowly in said direction. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety." He stated darkly.

"Prince Zuko," the man grimaced distastefully, "Crewman Lao said you needed this." He tossed an embossed telescope to him.

"Lieutenant," Zuko nodded stiffly, after catching the farseeing device and stowing it away in his shirt. With a movement that spoke of well-practiced efficiency, the fire prince removed a hidden –yet elegant– dagger from his boot, marched over to a mast housing a set of thick ropes, and wrapped a loosely hanging one around his free hand. With a sharp stab, Zuko cut off a specific rope, leaving his dagger sticking into the wooden mast. Pulleys started spinning, and off rose the brooding prince into the crows nest. His silhouette could be seen by both the Lieutenant and Iroh standing many feet below.

"He doesn't mean it, you know," Iroh said. "He's just all worked up. Lightning Bending practice hasn't been going to well for him this past week."

Lt. Jee sighed. "I know General, I know. He did save our helmsman during that storm. I'm sure he cares about the men, in his own way."

Both elderly men stood watching the prince's shadow move around up in the nest for almost an entire minute. The noonday sun blazed brightly, and Iroh put a hand over his eyes to shield them. Suddenly, a messenger hawk swooped down from up above.

Lt. Jee allowed the bird to land on his bracer-clad wrist. He undid the pouch on the hawk's back and unraveled the small scroll with neatly written letters upon its parchment. His eyebrows rose into his forehead, before he cursed under his breath.

Iroh snatched the paper from Lt. Jee, and read the simple script with a dose of alarm in his eyes.

_Prepare the men. We attack at dawn._

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><p><strong>Well, that was some pretty heavy stuff. I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what the hell is wrong with Katara. To be honest, this story is going to portray her in a fairly "canon" manner, if certain elements had occurred in Avatar: The Last Airbender. (That was a BIG hint, *cough cough*) . . . hopefully, I'll be able to explain in greater detail as the story progresses. The whole 'alternateshifting mind views' is gonna be a pretty big deal. **

**Now, on to geography! As for how Zuko managed to fit a galleon –a giant ass ship– up a river and into the Lake that surrounds Serpent's Pass . . . well, can I positively say: oops. I checked up on the map of the avatar AFTER I wrote the larger portion of Zuko's POV. Shit. Let's just, for the story's sake, ignore this tiny itsy bitsy detail. Imagine the river as an extremely large one. Ok? Ok. Good, moving on.**

**Finally: I really am sorry for the big delay. My wrestling season started up a while ago, and I've been really damn tired. Lemme tell ya, going from 160lbs this summer, all the way down to about 126lbs frickin' sucks horse-balls. That is my very lame, yet somewhat understandable, excuse ^^. I'll try to keep up with updates now, now that I'm pretty much done cutting weight. See you guys in the next chapter! **


	4. Of War and Subterfuge

**Disclaimer: I hold no ties with Avatar: The Last Airbender. This work of fiction was created for, and only for, the sole purpose of entertainment. No profits were obtained from the makings of this story. Credits go out to Nickelodeon, ****Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**** respectively.**

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****Summary: AU Z/K With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.****

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**Author's Note: Again, I apologize for the long delay in-between chapters. Hopefully, these 10 pages of goodness –I hope– make up for it! Thanks again for those continuing with this newly sprouting story. It has been a pleasure writing so far. Anyways: Read, Review, etc. It really does help inspire me to have people comment on my work –be it praising or criticizing– and it makes me want to write more. But seriously . . . Time to move on to the story!**

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"**Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without."**

**~Confucius**

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><p><strong>Of War and Subterfuge<strong>

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><p>"Ugh! Let me out of here!" The pounding of fists against beaten wood ensued.<p>

Things couldn't get much worse, Katara had decided, when she felt the barge lurch once more. Her stomach rolled around sideways and downwards with the movement, as her cramped storage box –that now doubled as a very _uncomfortable _cell– banged into the side of the hull brusquely. This had been occurring for many long, dark and painful hours.

The corsairs who nabbed her had done a thorough job of restraining the teen. Alongside being shoved into a stingy storage box, the river-pirates had taken the liberty of knotting both her wrists together with thick ropes made of worn leather. Similar cords were lashed tightly around the water bender's ankles as well. Her water skins and knives had been removed from her person on the spot, even before they had dragged her onto the ship. In her mind, Katara had no doubts that these men were professional raiders and pillagers. To be able to take a master water bender hostage was no small feat, especially when one such bender was near her natural element. _Even if I wasn't prepared for this to happen, _Katara thought bitterly, _It's still no excuse. _

"Let me out of here!" She yelled loudly once more, thumping her hands against the top of the box in an effort to gain some sort of attention.

To both her chagrin and relief, the top abruptly opened upwards after her last outburst.

"Well, it's about time!" She huffed indignantly from her cramped position, trying to put on a steady front. "I thought you'd never-"

A mammoth sized hand suddenly descended into the makeshift prison, and fisted roughly around Katara's bound wrists. With a yelp, the water bender was forced to stand up unsteadily to her feet, unable to finish her spiting comment. The owner of the giant hand then dragged Katara forcefully out of the box, before tossing the semi-shocked bender's upper body over onto an equally large shoulder. It took but a moment for her to realize she was being carried like a sack of rice; a very fiery, unhappy and pissed off sack of rice.

As the colossal creature carrying her began to lumber forward, Katara launched viciously into a rant about chivalrous-lacking bastards, reiterating her beliefs with the pounding of her fists upon a broad and thickly muscled back. Her only reply was a small grunt of indifference and an uncomfortable bound up the barge's rickety ladder. Before she could even begin her tirade about freakishly large and dumb pirates, Katara was plopped unceremoniously on her back onto the main deck. Her cerulean eyes glaring scathingly, the water bender finally caught a front-view of the giant. He was enormously solid, sporting a missing right hand and foot; in their places, highly advanced metal prosthetics gleamed slightly in the slowly brightening reflection of the sunlight. A large tattoo of an eye along the center of his forehead stared back at her menacingly, almost daring her to make a move.

Katara licked her lips, trying not to swallow too noticeably. Her incensed remarks stifled instantly.

With her defiance seemingly tempered by his physical appearance alone, the behemoth turned his back towards her and stalked powerfully away, pacified that his charge would trouble him no more. It was in this gesture that set Katara's irritation from its smoldering and steeped embers-like-state back up to a full scale inferno. Patriarchs in a society run by even more egotistical and arrogant men. _He doesn't consider you a threat! _Katara's inner voice screamed. _Make him pay for it._

Blessed with an innate ability to manipulate liquid, the water bender, from her place upon the floor, aimed a well-placed shot of saliva at the back of the giant man's head. She watched with satisfaction as her target's back stiffened and his hulking gait came to a standstill.

"Maybe you shouldn't have turned your back," she chastised in a venomous tone.

The enormous man turned to face his prisoner with barely suppressed anger. Black and beady eyes locked with smug, glinting orbs of sapphire. He took a dangerous step forwards. _Come on, come and get it. Attack!_

Katara's battle-trained instincts and superb perceptivity already had the entire scenario played out. _He's going to try to grab my throat and throttle me. Let him pick me up so that I'm eye level. Deliver a head-butt to the bridge of his nose and force him to let go. He's fought before, so he'll attack instantly out of nature. The major injuries on his right side will cause him to compromise and make his blind hook slant angularly. Flip over backwards and let him cut off my binds from my legs. Feet are more important than arms right now. Duck his left hook. Dodge his right uppercut, then deliver a straight kick to his solar plexus. The fight will engage again after he recovers and he'll come in at long range with a reckless charge. When he charges; sweep his base out from the left-side ankle; hitting a metal foot will result in nothing but a broken shin. Avoid any flailing shots and scissor around his neck before he hits the ground. Try to strangle with the scissor lock for as long as necessary. When he attempts to roll off his back and use brute strength, twist sharply to his weak side and flip him again. Cut off arm-cuffs using his prosthetic foot while rotating. Gain distance and water bend as soon as possible. Medical Prognosis: One broken nose, three cracked ribs, punctured lung, a fractured left ankle and a partially collapsed trachea. Estimated physical recovery time: One month. Estimated mental stability: Undetermined. Situation of male superiority and patriarchy: Neutralized. _

The plan set itself into motion when the brutish pirate's meaty digits locked around Katara's lithe neck. Her legs thrashed weakly as she felt her body being lifted into and suspended within thin air. Their eyes locked once more for but a split second . . . and a feral grin broke across the water bender's pretty face.

Head-butt. Cartilage mashed unforgivingly.

A breath of La-given air, then a back handspring: the full use of her legs gained.

Duck. Dodge. Straight kick directly into that weak expanse of muscle. Bones cracked and a gasp of forcefully imploded oxygen escaped.

One split second of analyzing the new distance between her and her opponent, then: leg sweep to the left ankle. Katara's ears thrummed with adrenaline, drowning out the tell-tale _snap_ of a fracturing appendage.

A scramble for position and a scissoring headlock around her adversary's neck; had it been anyone else without such a heavily set collar, her controlled and precise attack would have broken their spinal cord. As it was, the breath whooshed out potently from her enemy.

Twist and cut: freedom of her arms once more and enough time to rally a water bending attack. Her posture resumed itself into a familiar position, summoning her element from the nearby river and preparing for a water whip. Just as her consciousness was reaching out to feel and grab a hold of her natural constituent and turn it into a lethal bludgeon of pain, a commanding voice barked out from somewhere up above.

"ENOUGH!"

Katara's rhythm faltered and her concentration shattered. She looked skywards to try and locate the source of sound. Situated on a ledge about forty feet away from her, a stern looking pirate holding an elongated metal shaft in his right hand pointed it in her direction and growled distastefully at the water bender.

"Aye lass, stop right there or I'll be damned! We'll blow yer face right off this fuckin' vessel!"

Her chest heaving, Katara finally took in her environment not pertaining to her groaning adversary rolling on the deck. A score of cutthroats had gathered around and all stood at attention, each wielding some sort of deadly weapon in their hands. Many even had similar looking metallic rods like the pirate who had shouted, all of which were pointing in Katara's immediate direction. Though some had slightly stupefied expressions on their faces, Katara doubted that they wouldn't hesitate to follow their captain's orders.

"Git' down on yer knees, water witch." The leader –Katara assumed– spat out. "Put yer hands on yer head where I can see 'em and don't even think about fighting back."

Katara remained standing, wide eyed and frozen in place, her mind processing things a thousand miles an hour. _When did they get here? How long have they been watching? What are those . . . things? _Yet, it seemed, said mind did not process fast enough to the authoritarian's liking.

"Are you deaf, water wretch? I said git' down on yer fuckin' knees!" He clicked back a knob and pointed the short piece of steel at Katara's chest.

Her mind rushing itself back into place, Katara complied with the captain's wishes and conceded. She watched him make a flourishing wave with the object to his other comrades. Almost immediately two pairs of hands attached themselves harshly upon her person, wrenching her arms painfully behind her back. Through her peripherals, Katara noticed more pirates drag off the giant tattooed man she had beaten into unconsciousness. Her attention was brought back to the leader of the barge however, as he began to speak once more.

"Aye, now what made ya' think you could ever git' off this here schooner? Causin' trouble on me ship? Bah! I should have you whipped n' strung up for your insolence, heathen."

Katara remained silent, her eyes facing downwards towards the deck.

"Wot was that? I didn't 'ere you, girl." He paced up to the water bender, his poorly cured leather boots and equally dilapidated hygiene making Katara wrinkle her nose distastefully. Katara noticed quite distinctly how incredibly muddy the soles of his boots were.

Still, she did not answer.

"Answer me, bitch!" He roared. To better iterate his demand, one of such dirty boots kicked viciously into Katara's stomach.

She doubled over in pain, before the two corsairs restraining her pulled the water bender back up. The trained Dai Li agent only glared defiantly at the floor, ignoring the immense pain digging in her ribs. Begrudgingly, she was forced to look up when the brutish captain's pinching fingers clenched around her jaw. Still avoiding eye contact, Katara looked off somewhere to the side. In a final act of rebellion, she shunned his question and opted for a query of her own.

"Who are you?" she asked, trying to keep the pain out of her voice.

"Well, well, well. I s'pose a lil' wench like you hasn't been aquaint'd with us motley dogs, huh?" He mocked. His face hardened. "Trust me, water bending scum. You'll find out soon enough."

Another flick of his wrist, and the last thing Katara remembered was an ever so slight _whoosh _of movement from behind, before a painful feeling jabbed at the base of her skull. Her eyes rolled back up into her head and she fell into a torpid state of nothingness.

. . .

. . .

. . .

". . . Sokka?"

"Yeah Aang?"

"Do you think that-"

"No. We're on a mission, Aang; that means we can't compromise anything. Long Feng gave us our orders. We have to make sacrifices sometimes. If she's still out there, we'll meet back up at Omashu." His voice echoed flatly.

The air bender sighed. "Okay."

The silence of their campground held within it a sense of anxiety so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. Saddling up his ostrich-horse along with his remaining travelers, Avatar Aang took one last look at the smoldering embers of last night's fire before turning his back on the forlorn looking pit.

To him, it felt as if he had just turned his back on something, _someone _much more than just a simple fire pit.

Had he been watching more carefully, the young air bender would have noticed his other companion's electric blue eyes watering ever-so slightly, before the pupils distorted in a short, uneven cadence of pure blackness. Sokka's façade hardened.

"Let's ride."

Onwards rode the remaining Dai Li agents. Onwards, to the city of Omashu.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Dawn glistened vengefully near the strait of Serpent's Pass, cloaking the large mass of water in a basking sky of endless orange. The pale light shone through a window of the _Black Dragon's _Royal Keep, silhouetting the prince of fire preparing for battle. Nestled firmly within the glossy timber of his cabin, Zuko looked on outwards to the rising sun with a surge of suppressed adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Zuko stood with his arms outstretched while two servants laced up the sides of his padded jerkin they had fitted for him. When they had finished, one of them tugged on the hem of the jerkin, smoothing out its wrinkles, and said, "There, my prince. Is it too tight?"

He shook his head. "No."

The servants retrieved his greaves and bracers from an elegant oak closet housing the rest of his armor, and knelt before him in the dim lighting. Zuko remained vigilant in his watch through the window, not looking as his servitors buckled the greaves onto his lower legs. The calmness outside his chambers spoke of quietness, solace. Waves flowed silkily in the galleon's wake, like shimmering flakes of white.

Standing, his stewards made to put on the vambraces, tying the cords snugly around his forearms. The coolness of metal contrasted greatly with his skin. In reverence, the two men bowed, each hand upright within a fist: the symbol of fire.

Next from the wardrobe, they took out the pieces of his black cuirass. A golden flame glittered upon the dark steel's center, tapering up to the collar of Zuko's cuirass in a picturesque emblem of lavishness. The armor could serve both ceremonial and on-field requirements equally. With slow, deliberate motions, the servants buckled on his cuirass, making sure it fit perfectly on top of the leather jerkin and protected the prince's torso. Then, they attached equally black tassets onto the lower half of Zuko's cuirass. The plates of steel unfurled along the upper half of his legs, protecting them in an encasement of flexible metal.

On his shoulders, they set embossed spaulders; light enough to maximize arm movement yet sturdy and durable enough to protect from most weapons. When the servants made to put on his helmet, Zuko waved a hand at them dismissively. "Finish the top-knot, then leave me," he said.

The men did as they were told, being ones who did not argue with their prince. With another bow, they left Zuko's cabin, leaving him to stare at the final piece of equipment.

The "Y" shaped fortitude of his helmet stared back at him. Like the rest of his armor, Zuko's helm was coal-shaded and as dark as a moonless night, safe for the golden glyphs etched along the edges. Stretching out from the middle of it, a red plume of dyed ostrich-horse feathers ran vertically down the back of the helmet.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Zuko grasped the sides of the foreboding helm, before placing it over his head.

He was ready.

Leaving his cabin, Zuko strode out into the corridors of the ship and out onto the top of the main deck, into the pale light of dawn. Sailors, Soldiers, and deckhands streamed up from the lower decks, heading toward the main deck where he had announced earlier that everyone would assemble at.

The prince filled his lungs with cool morning air, breathing deeply as his warriors jousted for position. At his side, Iroh suddenly appeared. Together, they looked downwards at the ship's inhabitants, watching them file onwards.

"Uncle," he murmured quietly, "Did you send out our message to the White Lotus members like I asked?"

"Of course, Prince Zuko," Iroh whispered, "I am the Grand Lotus, after all. They should be gathering in Omashu within a few weeks. I'd give them two months for the entire society to be there. Perfectly scheduled, if I do say so myself."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Anytime, my nephew, anytime."

Zuko glanced surreptitiously out of the corner of his right eye. His uncle stood silently, sipping tea, and watching the crew of the _Black Dragon_ assemble. Dressed in battle regalia as well, Zuko's greatest general seemed pensive, as if wanting to ask something. An entire minute of silence held with bated breath, before –as he anticipated– Iroh spoke.

"I still do not believe in this reckless battle. You seem to have forgotten that there are still . . . links in our chain that are attached to a different fetter. This could all be a trick, Prince Zuko. It might very well expose your entire–"

"I shall accomplish my mission. I've made it this far against all odds, and I will not be stopped now. An opportunity like this doesn't show up very often, Uncle, and time is running out. I need the Avatar now."

Zuko's entire posture stiffened, resilient in abiding by the old goat's words. His uncle had tried to talk him out of the scheme ever since he had sent the message telling both Lt. Jee and Iroh when they would initiate contact.

Iroh eyed his nephew for a time, morose features set on his aged skin. "Very well . . ." the Dragon of the West acquiesced quietly, before clearing his throat in preparation to address the crew.

"Loyal Soldiers and men-in-arms!" Iroh vocalized, raising his voice for all to hear. His deep and rough timbre silenced the crewmen below, as all ears turned to listen with rapt attention. "It has been three years . . . three long years of searching, of pursing, the very essence of our duty. Time has worn down your spirits. That, I can see.

"In approximately twenty-five minutes from now, we –as decreed by Prince Zuko, shall pursue Earth Kingdom scouting ships with the intent to capture. The soldiers on said vessels shall be initiated quickly with hostile force, using our numbers against them; our movement must be conclusive and swift to avoid wringing in other potential enemies. Be warned, that these waters we sail in are protected by what remains of the Earth Kingdom's and Water Tribe's navy. As the _Black Dragon_ is considered a rogue vessel herself, expect a . . . _lukewarm_ welcoming from any imperial crafts patrolling the western front. I am sure many of you are aware of how Admiral Zhao conducts his business in these parts.

"Harsh times have passed over our heads, like an oppressive cloud. Perhaps even harsher times still await. But in this moment, we ride within the eye of the storm. Our mission: capture the Avatar. It was the imperial edict nigh on thrice winters ago. Oh, how those aristocrats must be twisting in their gold-lined silks now! The tables have turned, the epoch has shifted. Destiny is truly, an ironic and wretchedly perverse mistress.

"Now, the sun bears down upon you, the children of Agni! At times, it hinders us, mocking us with another day of unfulfillment. At times, like now, it guides us, glowing in its fiery spirit, pointing its way for you to follow! Today is the dawn of a new era! Today is the day we step closer to capturing the Avatar! Today is the day we reclaim the true lineage of Fire itself! Today, we partake in victory!"

The great Dragon of the West raised his arms skyward, fire sprouting from his outstretched hands at his last decree. Roaring, the ensemble drew swords out of their sheaths, pointing them into the air, proclaiming allegiance for their leader.

"ZUKO ZUKO ZUKO!"

Even as they shouted, Prince Zuko's impassive face hid silently behind a vengeful scar, golden eyes glimmering beneath an ebony helm.

The first act of finishing a century-old war had begun.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: So… anyone like semi-twists? *shrugs*. Basically what's going down is Zuko –as I take from it– is a passionate, driven, vengeful person. And being as such, he's not gonna be someone who goes down without a fight . . . Yup . . . that pretty much sums up this chapter. Props to whoever can understand where I'm going with this. Ooh and Katara's fight scene was totally inspired by watching Sherlock Holmes. Yeah. So R&amp;R folks! <strong>

**~Eizechial **


	5. Repercussions

**Disclaimer: I hold no ties with Avatar: The Last Airbender. This work of fiction was created for, and only for, the sole purpose of entertainment. No profits were obtained from the makings of this story. Credits go out to Nickelodeon, ****Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko**** respectively.**

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**Summary: **Summary: AU Z/K With the world all but under the Fire Empire's control, Katara, along with her fellow agents, are sent on a deadly operation. Bent on retribution, Zuko scours the land for answers. What they discover, is a conspiracy bigger than they ever imagined.

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**Author's Note: Thank you once more, dear readers . Now: I present to thee another chapter! But first . . . another joke! Ugh, crap never mind (It's not appropriate I guess). I was gonna make a gay joke, butt f***k it . . .**

***Silence***

**Aaannnnd now that that's over with, onto the story!**

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><p><strong>Repercussions<strong>

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><p>Lub-dub.<p>

His heartbeat in the moment. A calming cadence. A rhythm.

Lub-dub.

The sound of rival sparkpowder thundered so loudly, yet so distantly, it felt as if he could both hear and not hear anything over the pounding of blood in his ears. Zuko turned his head in riposte to the howling grate of Lt. Jee's command, the red feathers upon the prince's helm shifting with iridescent ire.

Lub-dub.

Zuko's auric irises latched on with engrossed attention upon the soot-smeared countenance of the man, watching him mouth the words, those blessed and desolately twisted lexis. _Steady!_

Lub-dub.

_Aim!_

Lub-dub . . .

"FIRE!" The command started a domino effect, as simultaneously, rounds of thirty-pound cannonballs rocketed from the decks of the _Black Dragon_, tearing into an Earth Kingdom scouting ship. Smoky discharge caused a coverlet of obscurity, but not nearly enough to completely hide the total decimation from the keen eyes of the fire prince. The comparatively smaller schooner was blasted into oblivion, as men garbed in green flew into the air and down into the shrapnel-like-teeth of wooden debris-filled water. Earth Kingdom sails snapped in two, buckling under the iron torrent reigning down upon it. Zuko shut out the shrill screams of his enemies.

He turned from his vantage point on the higher tiers of the deck to watch as the two remaining scouting boats skirted just behind the square stern of the _Black Dragon_. From his extensive studies of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe naval tactics, Zuko knew he had little to worry about with the miniscule firepower loaded upon the cruisers. If he truly wished, the prince could have simply used the same method of disposal he had initiated with the first ship. However, Zuko did not want total damnation upon his potential information-laden adversaries. He still needed them alive.

Wetting his lips that suddenly felt as dry as sandpaper, Zuko gripped a white and sparsely decorated bone horn and blew loudly. Its trumpeting call rallied his men instantly.

"LOAD THE BALLISTAS!"

"AYE, TO THE BALLISTAS!"

Similar shouts of 'to the Ballistas' crowed below, as men from the lower decks started to pop out onto the main floor. His deed done, Zuko stuck the horn back into its wooden shelf, before thundering down the steps to join in the preparation.

Jostling his way towards the stern, Zuko caught a glimpse of tightly coiled ropes winding themselves around like a spindle again and again. The torsion spring technology still lent itself usable, even with the rise of sparkpowder-filled weaponry. By tightening the fibers together via a two-man wench and pulley system, pressure was forced upon the bow-like contraption, from which jagged metal harpoons could be launched from its bowels and anchored into an object. Namely, other ships.

Earth molded discs flew from the two cruisers in a feeble attempt to harry Zuko's seafaring titan. A few of them smashed into parts of the railing, chipping away oaken wood, damaging little. _It truly is a helpless cause, _the prince mused, grinding his teeth in impatience. _Can they not see that I have already won? Agni, end this battle quickly._

Off to his side, the scarred warrior watched as Lt. Jee gave out his barking commands once again. The cries were much swifter, more charged, and it was with blinding speed that six harpoons thudded dully into their targets, tethering them to the _Black Dragon_. Zuko vocally took command.

"PREPARE TO BOARD NOW!" He shouted. A plethora of grappling hooks began whirling in the air, vaulting into the waterlogged bark of Earth Kingdom ships with wicked sharpness. Zuko wrapped a sturdy cloth around a secured rope, grasping both sides firmly and without preamble, launched himself off the railing of his vessel. A score of soldiers followed suit with their prince, zip-lining down to the scouting ships below that held a swarming mass of green clad entities.

The young warrior rolled nimbly into a crouch as soon as his feet touched wood. He silently thanked the years of agility training taught in the Royal Fire Academy for Boys, noting how quickly his enemies had already converged upon him, with their weapons drawn. Reaching with one hand over his shoulder, Zuko grasped the canted handle of his Dao sword and, in one fluid motion, unsheathed it from behind his back. The tang of metal scraping against metal rang out menacingly, before the prince flew headlong into a group of Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Zuko dodged as a sword swung wildly for his head. Springing forward like lightning, he thrust his own Dao blade deeply into his attacker's chest cavity, past the padded armor and into soft-yielding flesh. He pulled it out with a sickening squelch as blood peppered the uncovered portion of his face in a ruby spray of coppery musk.

Without pause, Zuko slashed outwards against another swordsman, already recognizing that the Earth Kingdom troops were starting to become overwhelmed with the sheer force of his boarding party. The first stroke was parried skillfully by the warrior, whose graying beard and lined face bespoke of a seasoned veteran, and they traded a series of hacking and twisting blows. In the lengthening time he stood dueling the avid fighter, Zuko rationalized that another soldier would be closing in on him in any second.

No sooner did he think that, when a blade whistled voraciously close to his head. Having already anticipated the attack from behind, he ducked lithely, disengaging from his former opponent for the briefest of moments, turned, and rose with a powerful spinning upswing that sliced a crippling wound to the torso of the very much surprised attacker.

The man let out a cry of pain, before Zuko skewered him through the stomach, yanking him forward with one hand while driving his blade further inwards, all the way out through the back. In a brutal finish, Zuko stepped in closer and jerked upwards, splitting the gurgling soldier's innards in a fatal movement.

His sword still hilt deep in the body of the fatally wounded soldier, Zuko whipped back around to find his prior opponent attempting to run him through. The prince flicked his left wrist outwards, palm facing down in a clenched fist, and through the manipulation of his _chi _let loose a small, feeble burst of fire.

A loud bang cracked through the air as flames met sparkpowder and a little piece of metal shot forth from Zuko's bracer. The charging man halted in his footsteps. He took two tottering steps forward before succumbing to his knees, dropping his sword, and finally, smashing face-first to the deck. Blood dribbled out from the round pea-sized hole in his head.

Chest heaving with adrenaline and exertion, Zuko pulled out his Dao sword from the gut of his deceased adversary, flicking away the staining crimson, before sheathing the blade into the scabbard behind his back. A thin trail of smoke still flared from the hidden pistol-like contraption upon his wrist. Having bought himself enough time to survey the battleground, he paused, loading another bullet and pouring a dose of sparkpowder into the concealed chamber of his bracer while his eyes raked over the deck of the cruiser. It seemed that they had defeated the first wave of defenders, as only soldiers garbed in black and red still stood.

A familiar figure caught his attention, "Lieutenant Jee!"

The man, dressed similarly as Zuko –without the red feathers flowing from his helm and gold trimming on his armor– jogged over smartly. A mixture of soot and sweat covered his face. "Aye Prince Zuko?" he said.

"What are our casualties?" Zuko asked.

"Minimal. No deaths so far as I've counted. We've got a few scratches here and there, but we'll manage."

"Good. And how is the other boarding–"

Three short fire blasts shot skyward from the other ship, interrupting his query.

Lt. Jee grinned. "I think your uncle is holding his own pretty well, my prince . . . from the looks of it, anyhow. That old dragon still has some spryness in him, retired or not."

Zuko almost smiled, "Very well."

Lt. Jee nodded. "I'll go round up the troops. Those Earth Kingdom cowards who call themselves officers are probably still hiding in their cabins, the bastards. We'll smoke 'em out." He growled the last sentence.

"We need them alive," Zuko warned. "I need answers."

Another stiff nod, and the lieutenant was back to barking out orders to the men. Quickly, they assembled themselves into two professional-looking lines before both Zuko and Jee. The ranks were thin, only ten men wide and two deep. Even though the _Black Dragon _carried with it nearly an entire contingent, much of the crew was built upon hired rogues and mercenaries. The true soldiers on his ship numbered around forty –split evenly between both him and his uncle–. But this did not bother the scarred teen. Twenty loyal, honest men were all he needed to complete his mission. Twenty was enough.

Zuko heard Lt. Jee speaking. "We've managed to capture and control the upper deck, men. General Iroh has already commandeered the other Earth Kingdom vessel, and has total reign of the ship. Our job now is to secure the officer's cabins and the captain's quarters. We are aiming to capture, not kill. We do this right boys, and we step that much closer to home, aye? Aye! Prince Zuko?" Jee asked, waiting to see if he had anything else to add.

Never much one to talk, Zuko merely nodded. "Let's do this." He said.

"Right, you are. Squad Team One, you're with me. Squad Two, follow the prince."

He watched as the first line of ten marched along with his lieutenant, steadily moving toward the staircase that led to the higher tiered cabins. Snapping his head back, Zuko plucked his fingers through the air in a 'come here' motion to the remaining men, and stalked upwards, following the lieutenant. The rest of the soldiers trailed behind him.

Creaking wood bowed under armored footsteps, as they made their way up the flight of stairs. The steps leveled out to a broad and open deck. Around its edges, six cabins littered the vicinity in a wide rectangle, while a lone, much larger chalet took up most of the remaining space in the middle. Zuko and Jee exchanged a quick series of hand signals, deciding on their next course of action. Zuko would go straight to the captain's quarters, while Jee would take his troops and storm the first few cabins. The prince briskly approached his target, leaving the lieutenant to linger back.

He reached the door, his ten Fire Corps tailing behind him like a metal shadow, and turned time his entrance with Lt. Jee. _One_,Zuko mouthed.

_Two_ . . . Prince Zuko turned back to face his entry point. He mentally timed the last second out.

_ Three_!

Unsheathing his Dao blade once more, the prince performed a complicated series of twists and cuts, before splitting the single sword into two separate halves, slimmer versions of his old weapon shimmering in both of his hands. With a roar, Zuko slammed a booted foot into the folds of the door, smashing it open.

His face contorted in a snarl, Zuko pointed one of the blades menacingly at a dark figure studying a large map with its back turned away from him.

"Surrender now! We have you outnumbered and overrun!" he shouted.

The figure turned to face him, a lucid leer on his face.

Zuko gasped.

"Really, I would expect better manners from royalty, even if they are banished, Prince Zuko. After all, I am a man of power. Respect is of the necessity." Zhao, Admiral of the Eastern Fleet, supreme commander of the Imperial Navy, and one of the most influential men in all of the Fire Empire, stared back levelly at the stunned and banished prince.

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. . .

. . .

"Hey now, up 'n at 'em! The early bird gets the worm, ya know." A muffled voice said.

Katara gave out a small moan, as sunlight filtered down from the now open top of her storage box-cum-cell. Eyes still shut in a feeble attempt block out the bright rays of awakening, she grabbed for a very tender spot on the back of her head, wincing as her digits felt a solidly large lump beneath her hair. _Oh La! That hurts something fierce. _The movement caused tinkling sounds to ring oddly in her ears.

She blinked owlishly, finally looking upwards. A grimy covered face filled with heavy lines and a mouth with rotting teeth grinned down at her. Or rather, it attempted to pull back a pair of chapped lips and sagging wrinkles to form such a gesture. It looked oddly reminiscent of a hog-monkey.

Hands grasped her wrists firmly, but without malice. With a small tug, Katara was pulled up out of the timber and back onto her feet. Still a bit disoriented, she attempted to step out of her confining box without the aid of hog-monkey man, and, in a flurry of whirling limbs attempting to re-correct and balance themselves; Katara found herself falling ungracefully onto the ground on her ass.

It took her a moment to notice the newly locked-and-shackled chains snaking their way around both her ankles and wrists, before she gave a long and drawn out groan. She would have stomped her foot if she could.

The man who had been helping her out snickered at her realization. "Heh heh heh. Silly lass. Ole Dock was just trying to help ya, honest I was." He helped her stand once more, patting one of her hands sympathetically.

"Yeah, I bet those bloody things must feel awful. Ya know, I think I remember my brother telling me a story about shackles, once. Here, lemme get him for you! He'll tell you all about it!" Dock disappeared in a flash, leaving a bewildered water bender wondering what the hell had just happened.

"What the hell just happened?" she exclaimed.

Nobody answered. And it was then, Katara finally realized she was no longer on a boat. Sprawled out around her, lush wooded foliage consumed her immediate surroundings, growing near the edge of a sandy niche. She struggled to find the strange man, falling back down in the process.

"Wait! Shit! Don't leave!" she shouted from her spot on the sand.

"Oh hello stranger! Who're you lookin' for? And in those shackles too!" Dock rematerialized back out of the bushes, a silly red hat on his head.

Katara was momentarily stunned. "Wha– oh never mind. Dock, you're Dock right? Where am I? What happened to those pirates? How come I'm–"

A sharp poke to the ribs with a pointy metal object cut her off of her frantic questioning. "Ow!"

"Okay, miss. I think you're going to need to slow down." Dock said matter of factly, squatting down to converse with her. "It's quite obvious that you are confused and probably suffering from a traumatic journey. First of all, my name is Bushi, not Dock. I've never met a Dock before in my life . . . minus my brother, of course. He actually told me to come over here . . ." Dock –or Bushi– shook his head. "But I'm going off on a tangent. I came over here to help tell a story about shackles to a pretty lady."

"It all began a long, long time ago, back when I served in the 14th division. Ground troops, ya know. Now, I was just an aspiring cadet, straight from the academy. Trying to swing with the big-wigs, prove my mettle. I was off on reconnaissance when a regiment of–"

"Dock . . . Bushi I mean!" Katara said exasperatedly. "Can you just tell me what's going on? Please!"

Bushi frowned. "I actually have no clue what happened to you. Dock just told me to come tell you about my marvelous journey and how I managed to escape from the enemies clutches." He brightened. "Ooh! But you know who probably knows what happened to you? My brother, Xu! He knows everything about anything. I'll go get him!" Bushi –or Dock– turned around for a moment.

She was seriously beginning to wonder if she had gotten her head hit harder than she had previously thought. _I am going to lose my mind if this keeps up!_

Bushi –or Dock– spun back around to smile at her. On his head rested a new yellow and red-trimmed pointed hat. "All right, I'm Xu! What'cha wanna know about?"

"Bu– I just . . . You were– Ah!" Katara resisted the urge to slap herself. Mostly because her hands were still chained.

"Ya know what. My brothers were just talking about you. They said you needed some help! Did Bushi tell you about his amazing adventure? It's a classic, ya know. Heh heh heh. Say, let me help get those shackles off of ya!" From his sleeves, Xu/Dock/Bushi –Katara honestly didn't know what to call him– produced a six inch long metal lock pick. He set to work on the metal restraints and had them undone faster than Katara could blink.

"Th- thanks?" She said uncertainly.

"No problem! I learned a thing or two from ole' Bushi, that smart brother of mine." He brushed his hands off. "But anyways, what was it that you wanted to know? Walk with me back to my village and I'll try to answer as best as I can. Come along now."

Again, Katara was picked up from the ground. _I guess it couldn't hurt to go, _she mused. _And if things get suspicious, I can handle this old man. Besides, I need to know what the heck's going on._ Nodding resolutely in her decision, Katara began to walk alongside her odd companion. A curving dirt path set them ambling into the forest vegetation.

"Alright . . . So Xu?" Katara ventured, carefully stepping around a large dung dropping.

"That's me!" he said.

"Do you know what happened to the people keeping me hostage? They were the ones that were keeping me all locked up and in that box."

"Hmm. Well, I don't pity what happened to them pirates. When I was off fishing earlier this mornin', I saw 'em get ambushed by those good 'fer nothin' Freedom Fighters. It was a quick hit 'n run. They took a whole bunch of stuff and wrecked the ship, then jumped back up into the tree's faster than a hopping rabaroo! They didn't see me, thankfully, so as soon as the coast was clear, I went ahead and scavenged up some of the things they left behind. Been doin it all mornin' with my brothers, until we found you, that is."

"Oh." Was all Katara managed. For some reason, the name 'Freedom Fighters' rung home with her. She could have sworn she knew that name from somewhere. They walked amicably in silence, before she decided to ask another question.

"So where exactly are we?" she asked.

"Well . . . right now we're in a forest! Isn't it great?"

Katara valiantly fought the urge to roll her eyes. "No, I mean, like where is the closest town or village at?"

"Ah. Well, that would be Gaipan, then. It's not five miles away from here, if you stay on this dirt road. I live there."

_Gaipan . . . where is Gaipan?_ Katara racked her mind for the answer. Various maps and locations flitted in and out of her head. _If we left westward to avoid the Serpent's Pass, and I got captured at our river-camp, then that means the pirates must've either followed the river southwest, or southeast into the Western Lake. Since there's no giant lake and no Serpent's Pass, that means they went southwest. So . . . Gaipan must be, it must be . . . oh no . . . _

"X– Xu?" Katara gulped. "Is Gaipan near . . . near Pohuai Stronghold? The military base?"

"Why, as a matter of fact, it is!" Xu said. "I'd say no further than maybe six or seven leagues away." He chatted on, oblivious to the fact that his companion had tuned him out completely.

Katara closed her eyes. Her situation had shifted from a crappy one to an all-together, god awful, living nightmare. She had literally stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire.

The Fire Empire.

Alone, without her allies and near one of the most heavily garrisoned provinces in the entire world, all Katara could do was follow her strange guide deeper, deeper into enemy territory.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: Ahh . . . nothing like plot twists and shifts! I hope you guys will kindly ignore my Deus ex machina I threw in there. Heh. I had no clue of how Katara could escape from her "professional" pirate kidnappers, without it being realistic. Sooo, I decided to throw in Jet's old gang. It actually works really well, seeing as it lets Katara travel in deeper through the avatar-verse without getting carted off for 3 weeks to Omashu via pirate boat. <strong>

**PS: Did anyone see the whole Zhao coming? I know TrixTR314 said she foresaw a Zhao encounter . . . but did you guys expect this? :D Yay! conspiracy(s) **

**Also: I changed the title along with the summary due to having a "Revelation" (OMG HOW AWESOME?WTFLOLXD) of my own. The story shall now be diverting completely from my original plan. Hah. We'll see how it goes.**

**I happen to have a map of avatar –this is what I'm going off of–, which you can view here: (It'll give you an understanding of where everybody is at). **.

**Also, I would like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers/readers. Nearly 1k hits! and almost 25 reviews! Lets aim for the quarter-century mark, people (the 25****th**** reviewer will get a special little drabble of their choice, from me if we can get there on this CHAPTER ONLY my incentive to you guys + getting stats . . . Evil huh? :D –I do ask you stay in avatar-world, however, unless it's a genre in which I know the characters from–) . Thanks once more!**

**Oh . . . P.P.S ( Tee-hee, I made funny) Samm– My lips are sealed as to the fate of our lovely characters. you'll just have to bear with my silence.**

**~Eizechial**


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